What I Won't Give Up

I would say that the last two months have probably been some of the most challenging that I've faced in my 8 years of full-time ministry. It hasn't been that the situations are challenging, but the work-load is tremendous. I feel like some stuff is slipping. In fact, just a little while ago, I got an email from someone, and I'm afraid that I let them down...and I had no intention of doing so...I've just gotten drowned in the 'tyranny of the urgent.'

Anyway...one of the things that I've worked hard on the last couple of months, with varying degrees of success is to kind of plant my foot about some things -- that I just won't give up -- even if stuff at the church suffers for it.

• I won't give up time with my family. I'll come in at 6:00am if I have to...but I'm striving to be home about 4:30. That gives my about two hours or so with my boys before they go to bed.
• I won't give up time at the gym. I feel 100% better about myself for the hour I try to spend in the gym each day.
• I won't give up reading -- I have to feed myself, if I'm going to have anything to give. That being said -- this is probably the area that's suffering a little bit right now.

Work or Play?

The master in the ART of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion.

He hardly knows which is which.

He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing.

To him he's always doing both.

-- James Michener (quoted in Rules of the Red Rubber Ball by Kevin Carroll)